Arsenal beat Man Utd with stoppage-time double
Arsenal defeated Man Utd 3-1 thanks to two goals scored in second-half stoppage time, in the marquee match of the fourth round of the English Premier League.
From a corner on the right, Rice received the ball unmarked at the far post as the opposition defender failed to stay tight on him. The 132 million USD midfielder volleyed the ball into the near corner past goalkeeper Andre Onana, putting the home side up 2-1. In the final minute, striker Gabriel Jesus finished off Arsenal’s rapid counterattack, twisting past Diogo Dalot before dinking the ball into the far corner to seal the 3-1 victory.
Before the late double, Arsenal looked set to leave empty-handed after Alejandro Garnacho fired into the net in the 89th minute to give Man Utd a 2-1 lead. However, VAR ruled out the goal for a marginal offside against Garnacho. The Emirates crowd celebrated the decision like a goal for their team. Their enthusiasm seemed to spur the Gunners on for the comeback win.
The game’s final 10 minutes were far more exciting than the cautious preceding 80 minutes. The first half had just three chances, starting with Kai Havertz scuffing a shot from under 10 meters in the 13th minute.
The German midfielder still hasn’t found his best form since joining Arsenal, and it was his error that led to the visitors’ opening goal. Christian Eriksen won possession before driving upfield and sliding the ball wide for Marcus Rashford to run onto. The English striker cut into the box and shot across goal into the far corner with Aaron Ramsdale only able to get a touch but unable to keep it out.
However, Arsenal equalized just a minute later with an intricate one-two passing move between Zinchenko, Martinelli, and Nketiah before Martinelli fed captain Martin Odegaard to shoot first-time across goal into the net.
Both teams continued playing cautiously in the second half but failed to capitalize on chances when presented. First Rashford had a point-blank effort hit a defender with the goal empty. Then Saka missed kicking the ball into Onana’s leg from close range when scoring looked easier.
VAR also once denied Arsenal, when the referee awarded them a penalty for Havertz colliding with Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the box. But after a review, he reversed the decision and waved off the penalty.
The stats show Arsenal was better in key areas, especially the 12 corners compared to just 3 for United. Rice’s goal stemmed from one such corner.
Meanwhile, United’s play remained uninspired, with rare bright moments provided by new signing Rasmus Hojlund. The 20-year-old forward impressed in his 30-minute cameo with his pace and power, despite not creating a clear chance.
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